Portable electric head lamp



Nov. 16, 1937.

w. F. KoEPKx-z 2,099,167

PORTABLE ELECTRIC HEAD L AMP Filed Dec. 15, 1936 Patented Nov. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES PORTABLE ELECTRIC HEAD LAMP William F. Koepke, New York, N. Y., assig'nor of thirty per cent to Adolph Berg, New York, N. Y.

Application December 15, 1936, Serial No. 115,904

2 Claims.

This invention relates to portable electric head lamps and is an improvement over the head lamp disclosed in my copending application Serial Number 67,217 filed March 5, 1936.

An object of the present invention is to provide such a lamp that is simple and compact in construction.

A further object is to provide such a lamp with simple and positive switching mechanism.

Another object is to provide such a lamp with convenient means for mounting a spare lamp bulb.

Other objects and advantages of the improved lamp will be apparent from the description thereof to follow taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a side view of the improved lamp and associated parts.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the socket.

o Figure 3 is a view of the socket taken at right angles to Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the rotatable barrel with the lamp removed.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of the rotatable barrel and associated parts.

Figure 6 is an end view of the lamp casing with the end Wall removed.

Figure 7 is an edge view of the insulating washer shown in 6.

is 'perspective view of one of the il'isulating disks.

Figure 9 is a detail view of part of the switching mechanism.

Figure 10 is a detail of members.

Figure 11 is an end view of the lamp casing more or less diagrammatic to show its position when in the on position.

Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 11 showing the position of the lamp casing when in ofi position.

My improved electric lamp is battery operated and for this purpose I provide a cylindrical metal battery casing I5 in which batteries I6 are encased. One end of the casing is closed by a screw threaded cap I1. The opposite end of the casing has a screw threaded metal cap or ring I8. An insulating socket I9 is carried by the cap I 8 and has one of its metal contacts 20extending inwardly of the battery casing and in engagement with a metal post 2| extending through the center of the socket body. The other contact 22 of the socket is electrically connected to the metal cap I8 by means of a U-shaped metal plate 23 which is insulated from the post 2| by one of the contact (Cl. 24o-59) an insulating strip 24, but engages the Contact 22 and a plate 25 fixed to the inner side of the cap I8. A spiral spring 26 may be used to urge the parts into contact with each other. A lug or protuberance 21 may be formed on the face 5 of the socket.

An ordinary electrical plug 28, having the usual prong contacts 29 in engagement with the socket contacts though the socket. openings 30, conducts the battery current by means of the con- 10 ductors 3I to the lamp.

The body of the plug may be grooved to coact with the lug or protuberance 2l on the socket I9 so as to polarizc the plug; that is, the plug can only be inserted in such a fashion that the 15 outer casing I5 of the battery and the outer casing of the lamp are at the same polarity to prevent accidental short circuiting.

The lamp easing comprises a frame having a slightly curved metal trough shaped base portion 20 32 to conform to the curvature of the forehead of the wearer and integral end walls 33 and 34.

Rotatably and tiltably mounted between the end walls 33 and 34 of the frame is a metal drum or barrel shaped member 35. This barrel member is fixed to metal shafts 36 and 31 which pass through the end walls 38 and 39 of the barrel and are journalled in the end walls 33 and 34, respectively, of the frame. An insulating Washer or disk .40 is positioned around the shaft 31 adjacent the inner side of the end Wall 39 of the barrel. An L-shaped metal contact 4I is connected to the shaft 31 at a point interiorly of the washer 40, the lower arm of the L extending adjacent to and along the barrel body to a 35 point about midway its length. A strip 42 of insulating material is positioned between the contact 4I and the barrel body.

The washer 40 is formed with a projecting segment portion 43 on its outer surface, which projecting portion 43 projects through an opening of similar shape in the end wall 39 of the barrel.

The shaft 31 from a point beginning at the outer surface of end wall 39 to its inner end is squared as indicated at 44 so that the contact 45 4I, washer 40 and barrel turn with it. The remainder of the shaft 31 is round.

Positioned around the circular portion of the shaft 31 between the end wall 34 of the frame and the end wall 39 of the barrel is another in- 50 sulating washer or disk 45. A metal disk 46 may be placed between the washer 45 and the barrel end wall 39, this disk 46 being provided with an opening .to receive the projection 43.

Positioned in an L-shaped groove 41 in the 55 the shaft 31 bedded in the groove in the periphery of the Washer.

Another metal contact member 49 having an elongated body portion and a ilanged portion at one end thereof is embedded in a similarly shaped groove 50 in the outer surface and peripheral edge of the washer 45. This contact 49 may be held in its grooved position on the washer 45 by an insulating strip ofsimilar shape so as to insulate it from the end wall 34 of the frame. An electrical connection is made between the metal contact 49 and the metal end wall 39 of the barrel by means of a spring 5| which has one end. seated in a metal thmble 52 which is in engagement with the contact 49 and which normally has its other end in engagement with the metal end wall 39. The spring and thimble extend through a transverse opening in the insulating washer 45.

The contact member 4| and washer 40 may be held in proper position by means of a spiral spring 53 which encircles the shaft 31 and has one end engaging the contact 4| and its other end engaging a metal Washer 54 held on the inner end of the shaft 31 by a pin 55.

The top wall of the barrel is provided with an opening having an inner iiange 55 provided with interior screw threads. Screw threaded in this flanged opening in the barrel is a lamp 51 having a V-shaped metal casing 58 supporting a glass lens 59 at the top and supporting an ordinary miniature incandescent lamp bulb 60 at the bottom, interiorly thereof, the central contact of said bulb 68 being in engagement with a metal contact 6| extending from the bottom of the metal casing 58. An insulating washer 82 insulates said metal contact 6| from the metal body of the lamp casing 58. When in proper position the metal contact 5| engages the contact 4I on the shaft 31. The side contact of the bulb 60 is in electrical engagement with the metal casing 58 of the lamp which in turn is in engagement with the walls of the barrel.

The lamp frame and barrel and associated parts are enclosed in a metal housing 63 which may be fastened to the base 32 by means of screws 64.

The circuit is completed from the batteries I5 to the lamp bulb 6B through the following instrumentalities: the central terminal of the batteries I8, socket post of the prongs 29 and attached conductor 3|, metal contact 48, shaft 31, contact 4|, lamp casing central contact 6|, central terminal of the lamp bulb 60, side terminal of lamp .bulb 60, metal casing 58 of the lamp, metal wall of barrel 35, spiral spring 5|, thimble 52, contact 49 and attached conductor 3|, attached prong 29, socket contact 22, plate contact 23, plate contact 25, cap I8, battery casing l5 and spring 2B to other terminal.

In order to break the circuit, the barrel is 2|, socket contact 20, one

turned until the projection 43 on the insulating disk 48 comes into contact with the spiral spring 5| as is diagrammatlcally shown in Figure 12.

In using the improved lamp, the lamp casing is placed on the forehead of the user with the base 32 against the forehead. An elastic band 65 is fastened in any desirable manner to the end walls of the frame and is placed around the head so as to keep the lamp casing securely in position.

A spare lamp bulb 86 is removably mounted on a plate 61 mounted on the inner end of shaft 36. A spring member 68 having one end secured to the inner end of shaft 36 and having its other looped end encircling the spare bulb 66 prevents the spare bulb 66 from being displaced. A spiral spring 69 surrounding the shaft 36 keeps the plate 61 in proper position..

I claim:

1. A portable electric head lamp including, in combination, a source of electromotive force, a rotatable barrel having a metal end wall forming a conducting member, a lamp bulb carried by said barrel in electrically conductive relationship with said source and an insulating strip carried by said metal end wall to form a make and break member in the electrical connection between the lamp bulb and source.

2. A portable electric head lamp comprising, in combination, a cylindrical metal casing, a battery in said casing, a removable metal cap on one end of the battery casing, a socket carried by said cap, a pair of contacts on said socket extending inwardly of the casing, one of said contacts be ing electrically connected to one terminal of the battery, the other of said contacts being electrically connected with the metal cap, a plug mounted on said socket and having its prongs in electrical connection with the contacts of the socket, a lamp frame having a curved base portion and end Walls, shafts journalied in the end walls of said lamp frame, a metal barrel member fixed to said shafts, a lamp casing carried by said barrel, a lamp bulb in said lamp casing, a contact arm carried interiorly of the barrel and adapted to engage the central terminal of said lamp bulb, the other terminal of said lamp bulb being in engagement with the lamp casing. a conductor electrically connecting Vone of said plug prongs with the contact arm in the barrel, another contact member mounted exteriorly of the barrel, a second conductor electrically connecting the other of said plug prongs with the latter contact member and switching mechanism disposed between the lamp frame and barrel for placing the metal barrel in electrically conductive relationship with the last mentioned contact member, said switching mechanism including a thimble in engagement with the said contact member, a spiral spring .having one end seated in said thimble and its other end loosely engaging the metal end wall of said barrel, said metal end wall having an insulating portion adapted to be moved into engagement with said spiral spring to break the electrical connection.

WILLIAM F. KOEPKE. 

